My day of volunteering was at the Riverfront Housing Complex located on the Grand River in downtown Lansing. The complex houses more than 220 seniors and people with disabilities. I met Cindy Chapin, an employee of the Tri-County Office on Aging, who is the provider of on-site hot and cold meals for 60 plus residents. We started our morning by bringing both a hot noontime meal and leaving a cold sandwich for the evening to thirty one residents. I met two residents who were unique and quite special. First, I met Mary Lou, a very elegant senior who had to put on her wig before she would allow Cindy to introduce me. My next senior was very special to me. I am a history buff and was familiar with the Tuskegee Airmen, America’s first black military airmen who fought in World War II. Cindy introduced me to Joseph who was one of the Tuskegee Airmen. He was very much a gentleman. This was a rare treat for a student of history.

We moved to the central dining area where a hot meal was served to about thirty more residents. What a great opportunity for me to visit with a diverse group of seniors and people facing other challenges. My day of service ended with picking up the kitchen, cleaning steamer pans, and putting out the trash. What a great day!

– Ron Tatro, Vice President